A conversation with John Warmb of Rent Strike
Close to midnight, after their concert at the American Legion right here in Waltham, I sat down with John Warmb (they/them), the lead singer, guitarist/banjoist and songwriter for Rent Strike, a (for once self-proclaimed) folk punk band originating out of Lansing, Michigan. And just a few minutes of talking with Warmb leaves no doubt as […]
If you love ‘Ted Lasso,’ watch ‘Shrinking’
It is shocking that “Shrinking” has not yet received the acclaim of its sister show, “Ted Lasso.” Unless you are an avid user of Apple TV+, you have likely never seen the sitcom-style dramedy which stars Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, but I cannot recommend it higher. “Shrinking” follows Jimmy (Jason Segel), a terrible, but […]
‘Knock at the Cabin’ wasn’t what I wanted it to be, but it wasn’t bad either
M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin” may not be what you expect it to be. That statement holds no positive or negative meaning, I simply want readers to enter into this movie with the right expectations. It is not a horror movie and there is no twist ending. Do not let trailers or Shyamalan’s […]
Crazy and the Brains is more than a punk band
At a cafe across from the Middle East Restaurant and Club in Cambridge, four exhausted men sat around a table. The most extravagantly dressed of the four, Christoph Jesus, sporting a colorful button-down shirt and backward flat cap, was who I spoke with most directly. Jesus is the founder, singer and lead songwriter of the […]
Author Mecca Jamilah Sullivan comes to Brandeis University
On March 16, 2023, author Mecca Jamilah Sullivan came to the university to discuss her debut novel “Big Girl,” the latest in the Creative Writing Reading Series. The event, according to an email sent out by Barbara Strauss, the Senior Department Coordinator, was “cosponsored by the Mandel Center for the Humanities and the Department of […]
My oversensitive, triggered response to a minuscule ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ segment
I, like most every college student in America, do not make a habit of watching “Real Time with Bill Maher.” My parents watch it weekly, as they have for years. But they will be the first to tell you, they no longer watch it for his clever commentary or his takedowns of right-wing pundits. […]
A conversation with Rob Taxpayer
Rob Taxpayer is a teacher based out of Minnesota, where he lives with his partner, Elise. He has been teaching since 2008 and found his passion in adult education. “I love it. It’s so great because people who are coming back to school as adults … they’re really dedicated, they really want to be there […]
An official ranking of the most popular fanfiction websites
As I am being slowly pummeled by school work, job applications and walking from Shiffman to Village multiple times a day, I decided to dedicate this week’s article to the one thing that truly brings me joy: fanfiction. I have been an avid reader of fanfiction since 2013 and am thus well versed in the […]
‘Emily the Criminal’ is the everyman’s crime thriller
Quietly released on Netflix after premiering primarily on the film festival circuit, “Emily the Criminal” is an uncomplicated crime thriller elevated through its quality emotional beats and well-done societal commentary. With a runtime of 93 minutes and a lack of excessive violence or explicit sex, it is an easy watch that could be enjoyed by […]
‘M3gan,’ a girlboss horror story
January is often referred to as the production company dumping ground. Movies coming out this early in the year are released at a time when theater attendance is low, award show nominations are a year away, and big December releases are still playing in most theaters. “M3gan” thus came as a surprise. A big-budget Blumhouse […]
‘This Place Rules,’ a documentary everyone should see
Andrew Callaghan became a YouTube celebrity in early 2020. On his now-abandoned channel “All Gas No Brakes,” Callaghan, along with a small group of friends, posted interviews he gave at strange events across the country, from a furry convention to the raid of Area 51 to Burning Man. While the videos’ virality could easily be […]
‘Wednesday’ is an entertaining teen mystery that anyone could enjoy
The Addams Family brand does not get old. While it can be used and interpreted poorly, every reimagining has the ability to create something wonderful without putting much of a twist on the original concept. “Wednesday,” the new Netflix original TV show, directed by Tim Burton, follows Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as she attends Nevermore […]
We are living through a horror renaissance, do not engage with ‘Smile’
Unless you are one of the dozens of people looking forward to watching the fifth “Halloween” movie to claim to be the franchise finale, this October’s Hollywood horror releases are rather underwhelming. Thus, undoubtedly many horror fans, desperate to engage in the Halloween spirit, will be drawn towards “Smile” (2022), one of the few horror […]
‘Vengeance’ is a great movie with a lot to say
“Vengeance,” written, directed by and starring B.J. Novak, is a murder mystery, told from the perspective of an East Coast journalist investigating a supposed opioid overdose in West Texas. The film attempts to deconstruct cultural stereotypes central to the American identity, through the story of a family plagued with grief turning to an outsider to […]
‘The Rehearsal’ is an experimental adventure told through cringe comedy
“The Rehearsal” is the second television project directed by and starring Canadian comedian Nathan Fielder. Since “Nathan For You,” Fielder’s first project and one of the funniest, most unique shows ever created, concluded in an epic fashion, anticipation has been high surrounding the project that would follow the cult phenomenon. Sticking to a similar […]
‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’: It could’ve been better, but still worth watching
Expectations were high when the trailer for “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” was released. A spy comedy following Nicolas Cage, playing Nicolas Cage, as he takes down the Nic Cage superfan leader of a drug cartel, was undoubtedly an intriguing sell. And while the funniest concepts of the trailer came through in the final […]
‘Hellbender’ (2021) is a must watch for horror fans
How does a low-budget horror film released through a little-known production company succeed in the mainstream markets? Well, it probably doesn’t. But “Hellbender” (2021) has all the qualities necessary to do just that. “Hellbender” is a folk horror coming of age story about a teen girl, Izzy (Zelda Adams), kept isolated in the woods […]
‘The Bubble’ is Judd Apatow’s worst movie yet
“The Bubble” (2022), is a two-hour meta-comedy, written and directed by Judd Apatow, about celebrities filming a dumb action movie during the pandemic. Had I known that information going in, I probably would not have watched it. I really wish I had known that information. There is simply nothing as cringey as a poorly […]
‘Our Flag Means Death’ is the best new show on television
We all know the story of Blackbeard: The violent, sociopathic, demon pirate who put fuses in his beard to terrify his victims and ended up with his decapitated head strung up the mast of his own ship. What you may not know is this dangerous homicidal man once co-captained a ship with Stede Bonnet, or […]
‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ (2022) is awful and no one should be surprised
Every “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (TCM) movie is terrible. Spanning from the original to the 2022 Netflix release and taking a tiny reprieve for “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2” (1986), which is arguably watchable, the series has always been awful. I state this to be clear that I came into “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2022) from a place […]
